We, R
by zettaiiya
Summary: It was like setting up millions of domino pieces as a part of complicated mechanism that was supposed to launch a trap in the right moment. And I accidentally pushed one of the dominoes, causing my own trap to launch at me. Believe me- it wasn't my intention to let it escalate like that. But it did. TR!Gold, T for minor violence and cursing; possible hints of one sided Proton/Gold
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Okay, I have nothing interesting to say here except that I'm sorry for any grammar errors. I'm trying my best, but yeah, I know I can screw things up sometimes.

This story has been stuck in my head for months, but I started writing it down just two days ago, and hopefully I'll get to more interesting chapters before I end up bored and disappointed with it. The second chapter is already complete but I still have to fix a bunch of errors that make no sense.

Just so you know: this story does _not _and_ will not _contain any kind of ship stuff, may it be porn or fluff. HOWEVER. It's still going to be highly emotional. I wish I could promise you won't be disappointed, but I don't want to break such promise, so I'll just shut up for now. Oh, yeah. T will be probably changed to M in the future, since the amount of violence will increase.

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><p>"Okay, be careful now." I leaned in a bit more onto Togekiss as he slowly descended, aiming at the DayCare Center's backyard and soon landing gracefully without even the smallest noise. I knew that Goldenrod City was full of Rockets now, and I couldn't afford them seeing me around, so I figured that the safest way would be to land in a private area. The DayCare Center was the only private property close to Goldenrod I knew, and before I left Mahogany Town about an hour ago, I'd called the owners and asked for helping me out a bit.<p>

The older couple almost immediately came outside to greet me, sending me warm smiles though I could tell both of them were worried and probably afraid. I'm perfectly sure they were waiting for me, watching the skies from behind the window, and I unknowingly smiled at the thought as I slid off Togekiss' back.

"Welcome back, Gold." the old man came closer and gently put his hand on my shoulder before turning his attention to my flying type, the white creature cooing at him in delight while having his head petted. After all the old man's face was the first thing Togekiss saw when he hatched, since I panicked a bit when my first Pokemon egg started to move and slowly crack, and luckily I was close to Goldenrod, so I ended up getting help for little Togepi right in this place.

"I got so worried when you called earlier... You said you were going to the Radio Tower, or have I misheard?" the daycare lady gently gripped my arms, her expression almost demanding. I could see in her eyes that she didn't like the idea of a mere fifteen year old stepping right into a nest of Arbok; especially given that fifteen year old was me- someone she'd often call her grandson, despite the fact we weren't real family.

I smiled a little, wanting to somehow reassure her that I would be fine, and that I was grateful for her worry.  
>"That's exactly what I am here for. And I'm sorry for worrying you so much, I wish I could leave you out of this but I really couldn't risk them seeing me right after I raided their hideout in Mahogany yesterday..."<p>

I almost flinched at small gasps both of the daycare couple let out.  
>"You did what?"<p>

"It's a long story... I promise I will tell you everything once I'm done in Goldenrod. Thank you for letting me use your backyard." I struggled a little to free from the older woman's grip and I recalled my beloved Togekiss back to his Pokeball. I seriously wasn't used to people being so worried over me.

Before they would ask more questions and try to stop me, I politely thanked them again and left, heading north to Goldenrod.

_This will be the end of Team Rocket_, I mumbled to myself.  
>It was enough.<p>

I spent a few hours wandering around the city, and with every few minutes the streets were becoming more and more empty, the citizens apparently not feeling too safe while Team Rocket claimed almost every of the public buildings as their own.  
>Black uniforms seemed to increase in number the closer to the Radio Tower I was, and I really had no idea how to get inside.<p>

Even if I somehow get inside, what then? Was it seriously possible to battle a dozen of Rockets at once? I don't think they would let me go after winning against them in battle. Surely they wouldn't even care about battling me anymore. I'd end up tied up and locked away in some basement for sure.

Unless they still were complete idiots.

I continued to walk down the street, considering different options I had. Actually, I considered _if _I have any options at all.

Where were the gym leaders? Elite Four? The champion? Why aren't they fighting?  
>That made no sense to me.<br>Unless they were caught up in some incidents that served as distractions to keep them away from the Radio Tower.

I highly doubted it though.

At least Lance could come with me, instead of just going to 'take care of something equally important'. What could be more important than THAT?! Just yesterday he dragged me into some underground hideout in Mahogany Town to help him stop a Gyarados enraging radio signal, and I almost have DIED out there because of the Electrode, just because Lance FORGOT they had tendency to self destruction.  
>Luckily the hideout was almost empty and the grunts I found there weren't able to even shout 'halt!' before they were disarmed and half conscious. Disabling the transmitter was the hardest part of that mission, and neither Lance nor me had been able find any switch attached to it so he had figured that the only way to deal with it was to chase away the electric Pokemon serving as batteries.<br>The power of the first self destruction practically swept me off my feet, and I swear I would have been dead by now if I had come closer to use a Pokeball like I planned. Luckily I only ended up with bruises on my back and several cuts thanks to some glass I was showered with after the first explosion.  
>I think I spent a few minutes either unconscious or completely confused after that, because the next thing I remember is my Persian helping me sit. I had my arm around her neck and the problem is, I don't recall sitting up or her pulling me up at all.<br>Must've seriously passed out for a moment.

After that I saw Lance coming back to me, obviously done with his part of the Electrode. The look on his face surely meant only one thing: 'oh shit'. The second he saw me, he knew he forgot to mention those freaking living Pokeballs' self destructive nature.

Nevertheless he didn't bother to apologize and admit he screwed up, yet he dared to insist that I was silly for being so surprised by an Electrode whose almost signature move was Self Destruct.

Almost drown in my own thoughts, suddenly I felt how someone grabs my backpack and jerks me backwards, slamming me against the train station building's wall. I immediately felt my heart painfully pound against my ribs, and I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut, expecting some kind of blow or something even worse.

Only it didn't come.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I heard a hiss, and I instantly recognized who it was. Silver. Oh please...  
>I was sure I was about to die at the hands of some random Rocket!<p>

I opened my eyes and saw the long haired redhead dangerously close to me, his arms on either side of my head, pressed against the wall, almost as if to protect me. He didn't look at me for a while, scanning the area around us to ensure that we weren't spotted.  
>He then glared at me, and I swear I could feel his eyes literally stab my soul with some kind of hellish daggers. I hated when he looked at me like this, and I hated how tall he was.<p>

Finally I mustered some more courage to bark at him, I even opened my mouth to speak but then he slapped his hand against my lips and shushed at me shortly. Only then I noticed that we were partially hidden behind some bushes and a tree.  
>I followed Silver's gaze and noticed another black uniform, obviously patrolling the streets.<p>

"What are you doing here?!" Silver after a couple of minutes finally spoke, leaving me impressed. He was always yelling, but now he managed to do that in a whisper.  
>I would slow clap into his face for that and for many other things in him that I found hilarious, if it was some other place of course.<p>

"First of all, get off me!" I put both hands on his chest and tried to push him back, but his body stayed unmoved, as if it was made of concrete. He just looked at me unimpressed, and I honestly was thankful that it was _only_ unimpressed expression. I'd feel so much more awkward if he mocked me for not being able to push him back.  
>But seriously, who let him grow that tall?! He was fifteen, just like me, yet he was a head taller than me, or more!<p>

I felt offended. Very offended.

Much to my surprise he took his arms off the wall and stepped back a bit, finally leaving my personal space. I could breathe freely.

"I'll ask one more time. What are you doing here?"

He was looking down at me. No, I don't mean literally! I mean- yeah, that, too, but he was looking at me the way you would look at some disgusting trash, and probably thinking of me as of someone weak and incapable of fighting on my own; someone who'd only cause problems. Well, duh, he apparently must've forgotten all of the times I've beaten his sorry ass in Pokemon battles. He knew what I'm capable of.

"I could ask you the same question, assface." I muttered low, tensing my every muscle to keep the eye contact. For some reason it was more difficult than it was before.  
>In that moment I was perfectly sure he'd kick me in face (with those ridiculously long legs of his it would be easy) for the insult I just spat at him, but he surprised me again and only folded his arms across his chest. What was wrong with him?<p>

"I'm here because Team Rocket pisses me off, you already know that. I'm here to finish them. You know all of the executives are at the Radio Tower, right? I finally got all of them in one place. And I won't let you ruin it, so you better-"

"Well I am here for exactly the same reason, so maybe stop playing a hero and let me help you!" I cut him off.  
>Seriously, this guy was annoying as hell. Playing all cool and almighty, but in fact he was acting like some exaggerating fictional character who'd get their ass beaten and it would still surprise him.<p>

"Help me? I don't need help." he wrinkled his nose a little, _oh no, getting someone to help him would be SO disgusting_, wouldn't it?

"I don't care. You don't want me to help you, then go ahead and get yourself killed. Do whatever you want, but don't try to patronize me or whatever, okay?! I'm going to do whatever I want, just like you!" I shifted my weight a bit and moved my back away from the cold wall, adjusting my backpack.  
>I was ready to leave when I felt that bastard pull me back again, and he wrapped one arm around me, pressing his free hand over my mouth.<br>Disgusting. Good job he had a habit of wearing leather gloves, at least I didn't have to taste his sweaty palms.  
>He leaned in a bit, now having his head beside mine, almost pressing his chin to my shoulder. I looked at him, observing his sharp eyes that slowly followed a dark silhouette moving behind the wall of green that shielded us from the outer world.<p>

Okay, I got it. Stay quiet.  
>I didn't need him to hold me like this anymore so I elbowed him (although gently) in the ribs but the only reaction I got from him was more pressure put onto my mouth that caused my head to tilt back a bit.<p>

Was he seriously thinking I'm THAT dense? I didn't need him to keep me quiet like this! Just a 'shh' would have been enough!

He let me go after a few minutes that felt like half an hour and I seriously had enough. I didn't even feel like telling him I'm not an idiot and that restraining me like this was uncalled for.

I only glared at him and moved to leave our hiding spot, peeking my head outside first to scan the area and finally I was free.  
>Thankfully he didn't try to stop me this time.<p>

I ended up going back to the DayCare Center outside Goldenrod, and I spent the rest of the day on trying to come up with some plan.

Silver had said that all of Team Rocket's executives were at the Radio Tower, and for some reason it wasn't something that made me feel any better. Executives meant smarter people, at least smarter than the rest of the team.

My mind was blank. I had no idea how to get inside, and what to do once I'm there.  
>Because hey, would they really admit they'd been nasty and that they deserve to get sent down to jail just after losing a Pokemon battle? Yeah, sure.<p>

I wondered what exactly was their goal. Besides money, they wanted their founder to come back and do what? Take control over the world? Like in those cheap movies and cartoons?  
>What for? It made no sense at all.<p>

I looked down at a Pokemon egg in my lap, gently tracing my palm over its smooth surface. Sitting like this in a room full of special shelves filled with eggs was kind of calming, especially that sometimes I think I could hear a soft murmur of the baby Pokemon hearts.  
>When I was younger my mom would often leave me here when she had work, or when she didn't want to drag me around grocery stores, knowing that I'd nag her for hours to buy me sweets and many different stuff we couldn't afford.<br>I can't say I didn't like to spend my free time in here, because it was an awesome place to be. I loved to watch the old man helping little offsprings out of the eggs, and then I felt amazing while helping to train some of the Pokemon that trainers left in the daycare couple's hands for many different reasons.

This was definitely my favourite place in the whole world.

"Gold?" a warm voice gently pulled me out of my thoughts and I slowly turned around, realizing it was already dark outside. Damn, thinking was really time consuming.  
>The old lady stood in the doorway and smiled at me.<br>"Dinner is ready," she said. Yes, I decided to stay here for the night, but it's not like it was my first time.  
>"And a friend of yours just came, he says he needs to talk to you but you don't answer any calls."<p>

Wait, what?  
>I stood up and carefully put the egg away back into an incubator and pulling out my Pokegear from my pocket.<br>No missed calls.  
>A friend of mine? Could it be that guy Todd who basically camps outside Goldenrod just to keep an eye on the sales in the Department Store?<p>

I nodded, the old lady sending me another smile as I walked past her towards the front door.  
>"Invite him over if you want." she said.<br>I couldn't recall having friends who'd know that I'm often visiting this place, and I actually can't recall calling anyone my friend. Something was off, and I had no idea who was claiming to be my friend.

"Uh, okay."

Maybe it was someone from Team Rocket...

Great.

I'm gonna die.

"Yo," oh no.  
>In the doorway stood a tall boy, his left hand stuffed in a pocket of his ugly blue pants, while he raised the other and waved at me halfheartedly.<p>

"Silver?" well I expected everyone, even professor Oak himself but not that... that mophead.  
>I frowned and flung my arm at him, only not to punch him but to press my index finger to his chest accusingly, drawing no reaction from him at all. He only lazily shifted his bored eyes to look at my hand, then looking back at me again.<br>"Are you following me?! Are you stalking me again?!"

"Again? You're the one who's been following me around, moron..." he muttered, his tone seriously bored. Well, we were through this conversation many times, so I guess it's nothing surprising that he's bored with it.  
>Damn it, I hate it when he pretends to be some freaking stoic.<p>

I opened my mouth to say something more when he pushed my hand away from his chest, and interrupted me before I even managed to make any sound.

"I'm here to warn you." he stuffed both of his hands into his pockets and averted his gaze, almost as if he wanted to run away but he still kept his bored attitude.

"You've already warned me earlier, I don't need to hear that again. You're not going to stop me."

He frowned and looked back at me with those sharp eyes again, making me tense a bit. He was about to say something when the old man walked out of the kitchen and spoke.

"Gold, invite your friend inside." he urged.

"Um, he's not my friend. And he's leaving already." yeah, because that conversation ended before it even started. Because I say so.

"Gold for fuck's sake..." Silver hissed, lowering his tone so the daycare man didn't hear it.  
>"Stop being a child, it's about Team Rocket. I want to tell you something that might be useful to you. Interested now?"<p>

I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear it. It was probably some stuff I've already heard from him, and he surely wanted to just make me stay away. Because he was stupid and he thought that he'll be able to destroy Team Rocket alone, and that it's his task. Idiot.

But, calling me a child was just plain rude, I wasn't being childish! I'm just careful and I don't let freaks like him into my territory. That's all.

And he said it might be useful. So maybe he won't try to convince me to stay away

Okay, I didn't want to cause any scenes in front of the daycare couple, so I just stepped aside and let Silver inside, locking the door behind him.

I regretted it almost immediately when the old lady started to ask him questions about how we've met, how old is he ("Aww I can't believe you two are the same age, Gold looks a lot younger!") and other stuff he obviously didn't want to answer, so for his sake I excused both of us and dragged him away into the room with incubators and shelves of eggs.

He looked around slowly when I turned the light on, and I grabbed his wrist just in case he wanted to practice his thievery in here.

"Hey, I know what's on your mind, so stop looking around like this." I growled, and he gave me a bit puzzled look before wriggling his arm away from my grip.

"You're calling me a thief?!"

"Well, duh. You _are_ a thief, Silver."

"No, I'm not!"

"Dude, you barged into professor Elm's laboratory and stole Totodile and Chikorita, and then some guy tells me that someone stole his Sneasel! And from what he said, the thief was rude, and mean, and had long red hair, and I know only ONE person matching this description! He was so scared that you'd come back for his Shuckle that he asked me to keep it an-"

The tension building in Silver's body was clearly visible and he finally snapped, grabbing my face with his glowed hand.

"Shut up!" he roared. Finally, his imitation of stoic self was gone.  
>He pushed me back then, letting me go. I staggered, and even though my cheeks went red from his grip, I was pleased with drawing such reaction from him.<p>

It's not that I enjoyed humiliating him, because I didn't. I was just stating the truth, and his outburst was a proof that his actions were bothering him. Serves him right, he should feel sorry and burdened.

"Nevermind, you better shut up and listen to what I have to say or I will murder you with this." he pulled a book from his bag I noticed just now and tossed it to me.

"Uwaah, scary."

"Shut. Your. Mouth."

I rolled my eyes in defeat. No fun.

"Now focus, and listen carefully. Team Rocket has no greater goals other than money and high position in hierarchy, at least for now. All they want is to become rich and feared, or respected. Whatever. They want to stay an organization, and they're mostly doing it just because that's the only thing they are somewhat good at."

"Well, surprise, I already know that, genius. Took you long enough to figure."

"Gold I swear I'll choke you if you won't shut up!"

So touchy...

He continued, and I kinda didn't want to listen to him anymore, so I looked at the worn out book in my hands and opened it, but Silver slammed his hand onto it so I couldn't even take a peek inside.

"They have no idea what to do next, that's why they want Giovanni to come back. They think he'll lead them to glory, and they're stupid enough to think that they have to show him how strong they've become in order to encourage him to return.

"They're getting worse and worse, and they're crossing almost every boundary they had previously. They aren't afraid of kidnapping and killing people anymore. That's one of many reasons of why you should stay away. They'll kill you the moment you anger the guards around the Radio Tower."

I frowned at that. I was aware of everything Silver was telling me, but I didn't like how he was patronizing me.

"You say all those things yet you mess around with them too. If you didn't know, you're going to die if you piss them off, too. Besides, you sound like you have some plan, but I don't think you have one!"

"No. I don't have any plan yet. But we're different when it comes to getting killed. I won't die even if I go there now and throw mud into their faces."

Silver slowly took his hand away from the book and straightened his back a bit, his eyes shifting to the side. I followed his sight but saw nothing interesting besides eggs, so I looked back at him.

"Hah? What do you mean? Why would you be so sure of it?" I asked.  
>I don't know why but for a while I was sure I saw uneasiness in his expression, his brow furrowed a little in kind of... sadness? I wasn't sure what all this meant.<p>

"That's because they know me."

Oh. Oh, right. He's a thief, after all.  
>Wait.<p>

"Wait, you're-"

"No! No, I'm not with them. And never was. I'm... I'm just someone they are not allowed to even touch, okay? That's all you should know."  
>He said it as if he was angry at me for that. Shouldn't he be thankful for being safe, whatever was the reason?<p>

I wonder what rendered things for him like this, by the way.  
>But it didn't sound good. It made me feel like I was talking to one of them. He was obviously involved, and... Wasn't it weird that he was attempting to destroy them and they were forbidden from fighting back?<br>Something wasn't right. And I really didn't like it.

I decided not to ask questions now though, since he already seemed to be on edge, and he was barely forcing himself to talk to me, I could tell. He willingly came to me to warn me, I should appreciate that a bit, I guess. Just a tiny bit.

"The book I gave you is one of the oldest books about legendary and mythical Pokemon that exists, and I managed to snatch it before they did it. Considering they've been interested in such stuff lately, I think their next objective is to catch those Pokemon, and I think it's not even about power anymore. They probably want to gain people's respect, not to scare them, which is quite easy that way, given that Johto basically overflows with fairy tales maniacs. It wouldn't be that easy in Kanto."

He continued. I tried to process everything he just told me, but in the end my mind once again went blank. I thought he would help me to come up with some plan, but all he did was only making me more worried and anxious, and on top of that I realized that there's no time to sit and think. I had to act.  
><em>Everyone<em> had to.

"If I were you, I'd just go home and stay away from this. You can't fight them, just like you can't fight a mountain."

I sighed, silently admitting that he was right.  
>But, I still didn't want to let this happen.<br>Then, it hit me.

"Silver! I know-! I-I mean..." I bit my tongue, shutting myself up. No, I won't tell him. He'd only try to ruin my plans.  
>Well, I could hardly call it a plan, it was just something obvious I realized. I had to find a way to render myself untouchable to Team Rocket, but it still was something better than having my mind completely blank, wasn't it?<br>It was the first step of the first phase of my plan that was slowly materializing before me, and it was enough for me to regain some of the positivity and self-confidence.

"I mean, I know, you don't have to tell me that. I have no idea what to do anyway, even if somehow I get inside the Radio Tower. So don't worry."

"I'm not worried."

I held the book out to him, but he didn't take it, pushing it back towards me.

"I'm giving you this book because it can help you figure out how to find the legendary Pokemon. You surely want to protect them from those scumbags, right? So keep it, read it, and make use of it if you're smart enough. But stay away from Team Rocket."

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><p>The old lady almost forced Silver to stay and eat dinner with me, instead of just letting him leave. It was the most awkward fifteen minutes long dinner of my life.<br>None of us said anything, and we didn't even look at each other when he finished and left. For that I was thankful, though. There was that silent agreement between us, that we do not talk about it no matter what.

I went to sleep after taking a shower, but it didn't seem like my mind was kind enough to let me rest this night.

I wanted to come up with a way to make myself untouchable, just like Silver was to Team Rocket.  
>He didn't tell me any details, and I seriously started to regret that I didn't ask him anything more. I could've tried, at least...<p>

There was a lot of people corrupted by Team Rocket, helping them out for their own profit and some kind of safety. But those people usually were useful to Team Rocket, and I don't think that Silver was useful.  
>After all, he was trying to spoil their plans several times, right?<p>

My head and chest began to hurt from all that hard thinking and stressing, so I decided to try harder and sleep.  
>I couldn't help but think that Silver must have been a kind of key to the whole Team Rocket thing, but I couldn't figure out what exactly was his role in all that. What was his objective? Why was he so determined to destroy Team Rocket? Why was he so important that they weren't allowed to hurt him? Could he be...their real leader?<br>Ugh.

Note to self- punch the period-head in the face for making me think and worry about him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** here, have another chapter. It's shorter than the first one (5k vs 3,9k words), but I think it's better. Maybe actually both of those chapters should be WAY shorter since they're a kind of prologue/introduction or whatever, and it should be kept nice and short and interesting… I hope no one gets too discouraged by what I've already written.

Luckily, if _I_ could get through two boring chapters, then _anyone_ can too. I promise that the third chapter will be a lot more interesting.

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><p>I can't sleep.<p>

It's no use anyway, it's already 8 o'clock in the morning and I have my duties that can't wait any longer.

Grunting to myself I reluctantly sit up and then rub my face with both hands, feeling how my eyes sting in a way they do when you get a handful of sand thrown right into your face.

I slapped my cheeks a few times and stretched out before getting up to my feet.

The old lady was already up and busy with taking care of baby Pokemon together with her husband, but as soon as she saw me she went to prepare some breakfast, even though I wanted to do it myself.

She obviously could see how tired and troubled I am, given I couldn't stop myself from spacing out every ten seconds.

I had to reassure her that everything is okay, and after two hours of listening how dangerous it is out there and how reckless I was when I raided Team Rocket's hideout in Mahogany (she forced the details out of me and I just had to show her my bruised back and admit that the two cuts on my face were the results of that mission; she threatened me that if I don't stay away from Team Rocket, then she'll tell my mother about all this which surely would end up with me being grounded for 32 years, but I managed to talk her out of this idea), I finally left the DayCare Center, heading for Goldenrod City.

Yesterday, for a moment I let myself get excited when I'd come up with a little part of my plan of dealing with Team Rocket, but now I felt myself cringe as I thought about it.

Of course I had to make sure they won't kill me instantly. That was obvious. That wasn't anything that could be called a "plan".

I'd call a plan the idea of _HOW_ to make myself untouchable. But the longer I've been trying to figure out how to do it, the less possible it seemed to be.

Silver had said that Team Rocket is interested in catching legendary Pokemon (blasphemy...!) and I thought that maybe if I somehow found any of those, then maybe Rockets wouldn't dare to hurt me.

I shook that thought off faster than I could blink, it obviously was a suicide! Just imagine, a fifteen year old standing in front of a bunch of criminalists, showing them some legendary creature, and demanding immunity.

They wouldn't probably even laugh before shooting me in the face and taking away that poor legend.

Sometimes I felt stupid. Sometimes I felt retarded. Sometimes I could hear Silver in my head yelling at me about how much of an idiot I am.

Well, whatever, I was aware of my worse moments but I'll never let Silver call me stupid or weak!

I looked around as I continued walking down the main street, pretending to be just passing by. I could see several grunts watching me intently, almost like they expected me to do something. They were thirsty for beating the shit out of someone, and to be honest, I could understand it.

If I were in their positions, standing in the same spot for a day or longer, I'd probably pray for some trouble too. Any kind of entertainment would be a blessing.

I turned right, suddenly feeling slight panic wash over me as I walked around pointlessly. I sure was drawing more attention than necessary, walking slowly and scanning the area with my eyes wide open.

Now I was headed for the Bike Shop, where I left my bike to have it repaired (Togekiss accidentally dropped it when we were flying to New Bark Town to visit my mom; it turned out that it was too much for him, and I still don't know why I got such stupid idea to even ask him to carry me on his back AND my bike in his feet) last week.

Having some target made me feel a little safer, but I knew I was just fooling myself.

Well, in case one of the Rockets stops me, I at least know what to tell them without stuttering and obviously trying to come up with any excuse, and I hoped that it would sound plausible enough for them to let me go.

Well... That was stupid.

I guess I'm starting to think too much, and it makes me panic.

After a few minutes I felt someone's eyes on my back, and I knew someone was following me. I tensed every muscle in my already trembling body to hold myself in place- if I started to run it would be worse, wouldn't it?

I sighed in relief when I saw a familiar sign of the Bike Shop, and I prayed for whoever was tailing me to stay far away enough to let me reach my destination and get inside the building.

Just a few meters more. Just one turn.

"Hey, you!"

Oh no. No, no, it's surely not directed at me.

I take a few steps faster than I originally planned, and I hear the voice from behind me again.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, brat! Stop!"

Shit. I have nothing to lose now, I'm close enough to the shop to reach it before that guy would catch up.

I started sprinting, and just a few breaths later I turned left, already feeling safe. The Bike Shop's entrance was just behind the corner...

And suddenly everything went black.

For a second, but still.

My eyes filled with tears and my nose hurt as hell, but before I could even register what was going on and that I'm falling back, I felt someone squeezing my wrist painfully and keeping me up.

It was just a second. Yet I felt like everything was happening in a slow motion, and it made me feel even more confused.

My eyes shot open and I saw a big, red "R".

"Oi, here you are." the same voice that was chasing me just moments earlier came from behind me again, this time much closer.

Two Rockets. I'm dead.

I was so scared that I couldn't even cry, but I managed to quickly remember that the best way to get out of this situation was to play stupid and oblivious.

"Didn't you hear me? Are you trying to piss me off?" the grunt pulled me back by my hood and slammed against a wall, while the other guy I ran into just watched.

I also remembered how I thought about Rockets being bored and looking for trouble on purpose.

I was so dead. They won't let me go, even if I start talking Chinese and pretend I'm lost.

I pressed my back more onto the wall and slowly looked up at the grunt's face, which apparently offended him enough to grab my hat (along with some hair underneath it, damn it hurt) and throw it to the ground before grabbing me by the face with one of his gloved hands.

He turned my head a little, watching me.

I felt dizzy and my whole body was shaking, and I was afraid that my heart would break my ribs if it continues to pound like this.

"Why are you scaring some kid like this? Don't get too close or he might stain your uniform if he pisses his pants..." the other grunt muttered in a bored and uninterested tone, and I was kind of glad to hear those words from him.

For a split second I thought that maybe he'd be my savior, that he'd somehow convince his friend that harassing me was pathetic and not worth of their time... But who am I trying to fool.

"I know this guy."

No. No, you _do not_ know me! You _can't_ know me!

"Huh?"

"Yeah, I have seen him before."

Shit. Of course I'd eventually run into Rockets that would remember me.

The Slowpoke Well. The hideout in Mahogany. At least _one_ of them had to remember me.

"What are you up to?" the grunt asked, and it took me a moment to focus enough to answer.

"...I-I..." shit, don't stutter.

"My bike... broke yesterday... I'm just waiting for it to get repaired."

The answer I gave him clearly sounded plausible to him, since he frowned a little in thought, probably considering if that's what I'm really here for.

But, he said he knows me, and it was really worrying me...

"Yeah, I saw you yesterday on the main street. Now I remember. You were wandering around and you looked like you didn't know what to do."

Haha... Yeah I was thinking about what to do to make you and your friends vanish.

"Let me guess, first time in the area?"

Much to my surprise he stepped back, letting me relax a bit, and he finally let go of my face. What, was he being nice right now?

"...u-uh... Y-yes! I'm from Sinnoh, sir." I lied, in case I had to use more lies to convince them that I really had no idea about what's going on in Goldenrod. The farther away from Johto, the better.

He looked at the other grunt and they both grinned with satisfaction. _Sir._ Well maybe that was my ticket to freedom- being nice and pretending to be unaware of who they are.

"Hey, kid, we're not allowed to let you inside this building, but let's have a deal. Bring me something to eat, and I'll let you get your bike."

Food? How am I supposed to bring him food? Every building in this city was either closed or hijacked by them!

Except... Except the DayCare Center. And I hoped it'd stay safe and untouched by those scumbags.

"...um... I don't have money..." I lied. I didn't want to serve him, and I didn't need my bike either, I just wanted to get away.

"Do I look like I care? Look, I think you don't understand the situation you're in. We're Team Rocket, and this is our territory. You're supposed to do what I say."

His expression changed from smug to something that sent chills down my spine, but I still wasn't able to take any threat from him as a real thing. Team Rocket liked to brag about who they are, and mostly it was just meaningless words, supposed to make others scared just with mentioning Team Rocket.

It was pathetic, but then again, Silver warned me that their limit of dumbassness was drained and they have changed. I couldn't mess around with them too much.

I clenched my fists as tight as I could, and looked down. It was the right moment to take my leave.

I could just go and ask the DayCare couple for some food, but... For some reason I was perfectly sure it wouldn't end on one delivery. This guy would surely try and threaten me more, just to make me feed him every day. Besides, I couldn't let them know that I am friends with the old couple. They could seriously get some stupid idea of hurting my 'grandparents of choice' if I didn't listen.

Okay, Gold. You have only one chance.

"Team Rocket... my ass!" I yelled.

I ran. Using the narrow lanes I knew better than my own pocket, I managed to leave them behind far enough to not hear their shouts.

Run, run.

I lost them. I'm safe. But I can't stop yet.

Before I could realize what shit I'm gonna throw myself into, I found myself running down the main street.

One black uniform.

_Oh no._

Three black uniforms.

_I am running in front of them. I'm drawing their attention._

Another group of black uniforms.

Wait, where am I even headed?! No, this is the wrong direction!

I was panicked enough to forget that I wasn't supposed to go near DayCare.

Just great.

Now I can't even stop and go the other way, because if no one is chasing me yet, then such move would surely alarm them.

Without any second thought and turned right and saw no one at all.

The underground entrance. It wasn't guarded. Maybe that's my chance.

I pushed the door. It wasn't locked.

THANKS, ARCEUS!

I ran downstairs and finally stopped, just now realizing I've been holding my breath for a while. Why would I even do while running- I don't know.

I looked around the familiar corridor and went further inside, wheezing while trying to breathe properly.

I didn't have to wait long before I ran into another grunt again.

"Another one?" he looked at me from behind his newspaper, sitting comfortably at a desk once owned by a photographer. I remembered the day I came down here with my Pokemon, just to get a photo. I remember how back then everyone in Johto were laughing at what Team Rocket had done in Kanto three years prior, as if it was some comedy. Not so long after, Rockets appeared again, and I think that this time people of Johto felt deeply sorry for laughing at them. Karma could be a bitch sometimes, huh.

I froze and stared at the young grunt (whose face looked like he was pleased with seeing me), not really understanding what exactly meant his question about _another one_.

"...u-um... Another one what?" I muttered.

I decided that running would be not the wisest idea right now, given that there was a chance that I was safe for a moment, and I didn't want this guy to run after me. Maybe I could just talk him out of the idea of paying attention to me, somehow...

He sighed heavily and put the newspaper away, got up and gave me a sign with his arm to follow him. "Come on."

Wait, what was going on? I had no idea, and he didn't bother to share any details.

Was this a trap?

I hesitantly followed him nevertheless.

"You shouldn't start off with being late, you know." he mumbled, only confusing me more.

Late for what? Starting off what?

"Who were you assigned to?" he asked, opening the door leading to a small photo gallery and led me to another door with a "staff only" sign on it.

I seriously couldn't understand what he was talking about.

"U-um..." I pressed my loosely curled into a fist hand to my lips, thoughtfully looking up at the ceiling.

I was too confused to even come up with any lie.

The grunt looked at me and sighed, shaking his head.

"I can't believe you. You just convinced them to accept you and you have no idea what's going on? Kid, I have some good advice for you. If you don't catch up with your group, it'll be better for you if you go home and stay hidden forever. You still have a chance to catch up, though. But if you're late and the executives find out, you're dead."

WHAT.

"Well, maybe you're not dead, but you'll have a hard time for sure."

He talked and talked and I had no idea what he was talking about, or rather, WHY was he telling ME all this.

I understood everything perfectly when he pulled a Rocket uniform from a carton. And he tossed it to me. And... And I was somehow a part of Team Rocket now?

"You're lucky, that's the last one. At least if you're smart, you can blend in without anyone noticing that you're a novice and that you were late. Just listen to what higher ranked grunts are telling you to do and don't ask questions. Seriously, I feel sorry for you."

He continued talking, and I only partially understood what he was trying to tell me. All I had in my mind right now was the image of me wearing that filthy uniform.

Silver won't be happy if he sees me like this.

But it was my only way out now.

"Thanks." I nodded at the grunt, once again eyeing _my new uniform_.

"Good job that the photographer was our fan, he was kind of creepy too. He had collected several uniforms and he was impudent enough to try and make money with them. Well, that was pretty smart to be honest... And to think that there seriously were people interested in having a photo of themselves wearing that. My brother says it's because they were mocking us but I think that they were that kind of people impressed with our team."

He blabbed while I reluctantly changed into the uniform, surprised at how it fit me perfectly. It was the perfect size, I mean. I wonder if the original owner was that tiny, or if it was someone my age.

A pair of boots and gloves were in the carton, too, and I put them on though I felt disgusted by the thought of all of this having been used by hundreds of random people.

"By the way, why are you so late? You look like you ran all the way from Kanto." he asked and put a hat on my head, which I turned backwards immediately.

Wait, where's my black-yellow hat? The one my mom bought for my birthday last year?

Oh, right. It's probably somewhere on the ground around the Bike Shop.

My poor hat... Well, now I'm a part of Team Rocket- I mean everyone will now think so, so I can just go there and retrieve my headgear. I hope it's still there.

"I-I ran because I was late, obviously," I blurted out. "And I was late because a friend of mine tried to make me leave Goldenrod with him. I didn't want him to know that I'm joining Team Rocket, so I had to talk to him for a while so he wouldn't suspect anything." I lied. Coming up with such lies was surprisingly easy...

"I see. Well, now you'll have problems if your group's leader finds out you're late. They're probably talking about your tasks right now. You are lucky that the novices aren't led by the executives directly."

He gave me a gentle push on my back to encourage me to hurry up.

I wanted to ask him million different questions, because I honestly had no idea where to go or what to do in case someone asks me what am I doing if they see me leaving the city.

I didn't even know the name of the guy who led "my" group, but at least I knew that it wasn't any of the executives I have met before.

No. Stop. I don't need to know anything more than why am I pretending to be a Rocket. The uniform I was wearing was my ticket to safety and freedom, and all I needed to do was to get out of Goldenrod.

It didn't take long before I reached the other end of the underground corridor and I walked upstairs and then outside.

Black uniform. Right behind the door. Again.

"Hey?" he looked at me and I once again felt my heart almost jump to my throat.

"How exactly old are you?" he asked, furrowing his brow a bit, as if he was displeased with my height and childish appearance.

"Uh, I'm fifteen, why?" I mustered enough courage to sound pretty self-confident, and I tried to hide how afraid I was.

Come on Gold, he thinks you're with them...

He tsked and folded his arms, leaning back against a wall. I assumed he was guarding the underground entrance.

"Damn it, they even started to recruit such kids. What next, preschoolers?" he grumbled more to himself than to me, and then smirked. "Well, whatever. Good to see that you've acknowledged all of the benefits you can have from being with us at such young age. By the way, you're late. You better run if you don't want to get kicked out on your first day."

"Yes, thank you!" I trotted away from him and soon reached the main street, sighing in relief.

Damn it... I just hope I won't run into that group, I don't want to actually join Team Rocket for real.

I walked ahead, from the corner of my eye observing the grunts that were either busy with talking to each other or bored to death while patrolling the streets. None of them spared me any suspecting glance, and even when they looked at me, it was just for a short moment.

I was safe.

That uniform was like permanent repel for Rockets. The question is, for how long is it going to be effective.

I wonder what am I supposed to do once I get outside the city. The only rational idea was to stay away, since the two grunts that chased me earlier were surely still angry and willing to hurt me.

Would they believe I was a part of Team Rocket if I ran into them now? Would they believe me if I told them they were mistaking me with someone else?

I still wanted to get rid of him, or at least provoke the Elite Four to act.

I wonder what Silver was up to now. He said he was able to get inside the Radio Tower and do whatever he pleases, so why won't he go there and blow up the building with all the Rockets (and himself, or no, scratch that) within?

He had the ability yet he wasn't using it.

Maybe I should force him to doing something.

No, I really couldn't understand why he just won't do something, _anything_ _at all_. He was hiding something from me. That's why I still don't fully understand the way he acts.

If he wanted, he could just go there and spoil their plans, or at least add some laxative to their food (serves them right, and it would be hilarious).

Maybe I could do that too, since they think I'm one of them, and I think they would believe me if I told them that I was sent to grab some food for the boss.

I let out a sharp gasp and froze.

...

Wait.

That's... Is that what they call genius?

Everything that happens now. Isn't it the first step of the first phase of my plan I thought about yesterday? 'Rendering myself untouchable'?

Well here I am. And... And I know what to do. I was trying to come up with bits of any plan, and now I am here, standing among crowds of black uniforms, completely safe... With a whole, complete plan in my head.

Well, maybe it wasn't THAT complete, but at least I knew what to do once I'm inside the Radio Tower.

I will become a part of Team Rocket, and I will make sure that the Elite Four and the police are always at least one step ahead of those criminalists.

And Silver will finally admit I'm smarter and more courageous than anyone else he knows.

_Just watch me._


	3. Chapter 3

Standing in the middle of Goldenrod City's main street and trying to comprehend the idea that hit me just moments earlier, I clenched my fists nervously to somehow calm myself down a bit, feeling my stomach twist painfully.  
>Right in front of me was the southern gate and Route 34, the way to freedom and safety.<br>If I wanted, I could just go ahead and leave the city, but then again... How sure I can be that the safety and freedom waiting for me out there won't be endangered if I don't do anything now?  
>I know I can't do much if I don't get any support from the police or the gym leaders and the Elite Four... And so far no one knows that I'm here, trying to make the decision- risk my life for the sake of everyone else, which would most likely change nothing, or do what everyone else does- and flee. I had arrived in Goldenrod yesterday, and since then I haven't seen even a single trace of the police, which was quite surprising and maybe even terrifying, considering how even the not so important (compared to Team Rocket hijacking the Radio Tower) incidents were immediately taken care of by the police and other facilities if necessary.<br>Here, I couldn't see anyone besides the black uniforms, several scared citizens, some unaware passers-by and shady people who most likely were either cooperating with Team Rocket or were just Rockets without their uniforms.

Well, it's not like I know the details of Team Rocket's plan of taking over Goldenrod City, so maybe they've had the police thing covered too.  
>Maybe they were holding someone hostage, and that's why no one has decided to take such risk and fight back yet.<p>

Okay... That made sense. Then that's another reason for me to deal with it in stealth mode. And maybe share my idea with someone, though maybe the police have already infiltrated Team Rocket.  
>I'd be safer that way.<p>

I raised my eyes from the ground to look ahead, imagining myself leaving Goldenrod and stopping by the DayCare Center.

The old couple... They wouldn't be safe without me around. And I'm certain that Team Rocket will eventually lay their hands on the eggs and Pokemon staying in there.  
>Hopefully no one was stupid enough to leave their Pokemon in the Center when Team Rocket were around, and I hope that all of the Pokemon were picked up by their trainers already.<br>Then again, the unwanted eggs my 'grandparents' take care of were still in danger.

And a lot of them were the eggs of rare Pokemon, which Team Rocket were after.

Even if I stayed at the DayCare Center (since moving all of the eggs to some other place would be impossible and dangerous for baby Pokemon inside), then I wouldn't be able to stop the Rockets if they barge in at night and point guns at me and the old couple.  
>But, maybe I'd be much more of a help if I knew about their plans earlier and warned someone, or somehow knocked the idea out of Team Rocket's heads at all.<p>

Damn it...

I know it's serious, and that it's not some kind of movie or a video game, yet I still couldn't help but get a little excited over my sneaky plan. I was aware of how impossibly it must sound to someone more rational-thinking than me, and although I really could imagine how all of this could end, somehow the thought of everything going well was still the main thought that wouldn't let me give up and accept that I'll most likely end up dead.

I guess this is why my mom used to call me 'a hopeless optimist' whenever I'd fallen down some tree or had gotten hurt in some other way, because I wasn't very clever when it came to calculating the success rate and level of danger of my ideas.

So... I guess it's settled then?  
>I'm about to join Team Rocket for real, and hopefully it won't take longer than a week. My mom will seriously ground me if I won't call her in two days or visit on Saturday. And today it's Monday.<p>

I once again looked ahead and squeezed the strap of my backpack with both hands, swallowing hard. I could feel the tension in every part of my body, and my stomach felt like it was full of sour jelly that for some reason refused to stay still and continued to slowly stir my insides.  
>I was nervous, but not scared. At least not <em>yet<em>.

So now what? I should probably somehow blend into Team Rocket, and pretend I'm with them.  
>The group of freshly recruited people should be still around, but... Now I was really late, and I had no idea where they could go.<p>

I decided to just wander around the city and wait for some opportunity to somehow start _being_ a Rocket.  
>I was a bit afraid of running into the two grunts I met earlier around the Bike Shop, so hoping that it would help, I hid my backpack in some bushes near Bill's house (which was empty and obviously had been ransacked, those bastards...) and tried to think of some fake story about myself.<p>

I wasn't that stupid to tell them my real name and where I live, after all.  
>It was kind of fun, like coming up with bio of a fictional character.<p>

And so, I decided that if anyone asks, then I'm from Cherrygrove City (in case I had to visit mom, then it's close enough and the same direction from Goldenrod; though I'm not sure I'll be allowed to wander around Johto pointlessly), I'm an orphan and I fled from the orphanage, and I joined Team Rocket just because I'm an angry and rebellious teen and _'it's obvious that who isn't with them is automatically considered being against them, so it's the only right choice to join'_.  
>I hope such talk would be enough for them. What I'm aiming for is being considered a "child easy to brainwash" who'd entirely become a devoted servant, whose DNA in 99% would be Team Rocket.<p>

Well maybe it's a bit too much, but that's exactly what I want them to think of me.

Coming up with fake name was a bit harder, much to my surprise. Everything suddenly sounded either stupid or pompous, or too plain for _someone like me_.

And, not only coming up with the name was hard, I also remembered that I'm supposed to act differently, considering my _tragic past_ I created just now. I should be more cocky and self-confident, and probably look down on grunts with the same or lower rank, and then as someone who's supposed to be considered a Team Rocket fanatic, I should imitate my love and adoration for the executives.

Easier said than done.

Passing by the Game Corner I looked inside through the window, noticing how crowded with black uniforms it was. All of the people inside seemed to have a good time- they were laughing and talking loudly, much like... much like just normal people celebrating something.  
>Except they weren't normal people, and shouldn't be even considered people in general.<p>

I was getting closer and closer to the Radio Tower, looking up at the very peak curiously. Maybe attacking from the sky would be the most effective way...

"Hey, you, shortie!"

Uh-oh... It's me.

Remember Gold, you're an angry and rude teen. No shaking, no stuttering, no scared expression.

For a few breaths I kept my head tilted up, pretending to be still watching the Radio Tower, but in reality I was taking my time to calm down and relax my face.  
>I imagined Silver, and tried to look exactly like him whenever he'd try and pretend to be a stoic adult- bored and offended by other people's presence.<br>Only it was really difficult in such moment.

I slowly turned my head to look in the direction from which came the voice calling me a shortie (rude…), seeing another young grunt. He had light brown hair that was partially covering his ears. I guess he must be in his early twenties, much like most of the grunts I've seen so far.

"Move your lazy ass over here."

I frowned at him but obeyed, keeping my hands behind me. I didn't want to keep any kind of eye contact so I turned my back to the Tower's wall and pulled on a determined and focused face, hoping that I looked believable. I still had no idea what I was supposed to do, so I had to pretend I'm informed about my duties and tasks. One of them right now was watching the street intently- that's why I didn't look at this guy, _duh_.  
>Hopefully he gets it.<p>

There was a moment of silence between us, but I could feel his eyes on me. We stood side by side, and finally he spoke.

"Nervous?"

I didn't answer right away. It would only show that, in fact, I was VERY nervous.

"Not really."

He let out a small breathy chuckle and finally the feeling of him watching me disappeared.

"Everyone is scared on the start."

"Not me."

Wait, was he actually trying to be nice? He sounded nice, not cocky or disrespectful. Weird feeling, I swear... It gives me chills.

"Sure, sure... So what's your name?" he asked, and I bit my tongue sharply which almost caused my eyes to fill with tears a little bit.  
>Fuck<em>. I don't know my name<em>.

"Why are you assuming it's my first day, by the way?" I hissed, avoiding answering the question.  
>Somehow everyone could tell I was new here, even this guy- who saw me for the first time ever, and already wearing the uniform.<p>

"You wouldn't be wandering around pointlessly if you weren't new. It's easy to see who is nervous and not sure of what to do, and how to do stuff. Everyone knows their job and you obviously don't. But...you're good at pretending, I must admit."

I looked at him from the corner of my eye, keeping the bitter expression.  
>This guy... Am I seriously <em>that<em> easy to read?

"But you're lucky. You can consider me your best friend, since I was supposed to pick one of the recruits and introduce them to the resources squad's work. That's the best job to start off with, in my opinion."

_Resources squad? What does that mean?_

"The boss used to call us hunters, since it's basically what we're supposed to do most of the time. We focus on making sure that the headquarters is equipped properly, and I mean not only stuff like guns but also food and meds for Pokemon. Actually getting new Pokemon for sale is our job too, but you won't be getting any tasks like this anytime soon, so don't try too hard."

Wow... Impressive. They actually had some more complicated hierarchy and structure than just "boss and his pawns". Honestly, I am surprised.

"I understand." I muttered, guessing that staying silent for any longer could make me seem even more lost. And I didn't want it.  
>This guy said I can consider him my best friend, so I'll do just that. He'll tell me what to do.<p>

"Like I said before, you're lucky to have run into me because I'll give you your first task that will help you get on the right tracks. We're waiting for our truck to arrive, and all you have to do is to help me sort Pokemon they bring."

Wait, sort Pokemon? A truck? Why? Where are those Pokemon from? Are they Pokemon for sale? I hope so... They'd be safe with whoever buys them, I guess. Safer with some spoiled, rich children than in Team Rocket hands.  
>Unless they're being sold to some company doing tests on them.<br>Shit.

"So, what's your name?" the guy beside me asked again, his voice friendly and calm. I hated how it sounded, it didn't fit this place at all.  
>But maybe it was just a mask hiding his true, sadistic self.<br>_Maybe._

And I still didn't know my name. Come on, some plain name like John would be enough...

"It...um..." I stuttered. Damn I really didn't know what it say, and I was afraid to blurt out any of the common names I came up with that had nothing to do with me. There was a risk that I'd forget such name and then everything would be harder to explain.

The grunt leaned in a little and turned his head to look at me curiously when I didn't continue.

"Huh? Could you repeat? You said it so quietly."

_Dude, I said "it" and that's all... It... it is what?_

"Ethan." I looked at him as he spoke. "That's what you said, right?" he smiled a little, straightening his back.

Have I really said that?

"You're either too shy or too unsure if it's safe to tell me your name, just like every new recruit around your age I've met so far. I can understand it."

For a moment I let my eyes open a bit wider as a vision of him actually knowing _everything_ about me struck me. He acted like he was helping me seem believable to other, true Rockets... He even pulled a fake name out of me, even though I said nothing like 'Ethan'. Or... Did "it, um" really sound like 'Ethan' to him?

Great, now I'm even more scared of this guy. He's abnormally nice and I know that he _can't_ be nice, because hey, after all, he's a devoted Rocket, isn't he?  
>I don't like that kind of people. I've only seen them in movies and cartoons and comics... The nice and lovely ones, who then murder an innocent person while smiling in a way a child would smile when cuddling a Skitty.<p>

I'm disturbed.

I decided to go with the flow though, hoping that maybe he was genuinely nice and that he really just misheard.  
>I nodded and muttered my fake name to confirm.<p>

"I'm Jon, but you know, J-O-N, without the 'H', like everyone assume." he chuckled.

Seriously this guy is TERRIFYING.

I nodded again, staying silent.

For the next ten minutes or so we both said nothing. Jon's warm smile faded. My body wouldn't stop trembling every now and then, but I managed to keep my face somewhat relaxed.

The truck we were waiting for arrived on time and stopped at the Radio Tower's back entrance. It was full of big cartons filled with different kinds of Pokeballs, and I immediately figured they were stolen from a PokemonCenter since some of them were labeled with trainers' personal info and other stuff like planned date of picking the Pokemon up. Some of the Pokeballs were either customized or had some name scratched on it (I do that myself, I always scratch my name on every one of my Pokeballs).  
>I felt really bad seeing all this, knowing that somewhere out there a bunch of trainers, including children, were crying their eyes out because their Pokemon were stolen.<br>I really had to fight the urge to just grab those boxes and run.

I ruined people's lives and I couldn't do anything about it.  
>Not <em>yet<em>.

Anyway, first thing I was ordered to do was carrying the boxes inside and then to the basement. Jon, who was apparently one of the higher ranked grunts who were some kind of minor executives, helped me out with everything and gave me a short lecture about what 'sorting' was.

All I had to do was to check what Pokemon were _delivered_ (using an old healing machine; the pokemon were displayed on the screen) and write it down, and then put common (like Rattata, Bellsprout, Poliwag), rare and or evolved (Gengar, Dratini, Gyarados) and non-native ones in separate boxes.

I thought it'd be easy but...  
>There is about 10 boxes. Each one of them contains about 200 Pokeballs.<br>That gives about two THOUSAND Pokemon.

Sorting them took ages... And, Jon said that my name will be attached to the report, so if I screw up... Then I'm dead (well, he didn't really use that word but he said I'd 'disappoint' _the_ executives, which sounds equally terrifying).

I was a bit relieved when two other grunts came and joined me, but it still took about seven hours to sort everything out and then fill in some additional papers.

I was glad (I guess) that Jon stayed with me too, and explained that I have to send all of my own Pokemon to the PC box, since the lower ranked grunts like me weren't allowed to use more powerful Pokemon.

"But that doesn't make sense. Isn't it better if everyone uses the most powerful Pokemon they own, regardless?" I asked, deciding to ditch my 'new personality' for a while. I'd rather actually know everything than only pretend I do and then fuck something up.

"At first glance it doesn't, indeed." Jon nodded, looking down at his clipboard and scribbling something before looking back at me and sending me a small, older-brother-like smile.  
>"But just think, what would happen if a dozen of grunts used their too big or too strong Pokemon simultaneously. It'd be quite chaotic, and dangerous. The Pokemon we use are highly loyal, smart and intelligent. Some of them, like Zubat, are also pretty common so they don't draw attention and it's easier to utilize them as little spies."<p>

Well, that actually makes sense...

"Everyone used to mock us for using six Zubat in a battle rather than one well-trained Crobat… They thought we were just a bunch of idiots, but there's method in our madness."

I was really worried about having to part with my Pokemon. It felt suicidal... It actually WAS suicidal. Only with my own team I had any chance of surviving in case someone finds out I am here just to destroy Team Rocket from the inside.  
>But, I had to obey...<p>

Once we were done with sorting the delivered Pokemon, Jon informed me that I am free for the rest of the day, but I had to use that time for getting new Pokemon and befriending them, and getting to know the basement.  
>Apparently Team Rocket used the Radio Tower's huge basement as a place for the grunts to sleep and gather while waiting for any new orders.<p>

I left the tower and went to the nearby Pokemon Center, quickly depositing my team to the PC. I didn't even want to say goodbye or explain anything to them. I knew I'd feel even worse and I'd probably panic if I thought more about what could happen without them by my side.

Jon was already waiting for me when I got back to the basement, smiling at me like usual (sending chills down my spine) and gently patted my shoulder as if to cheer me up. He didn't say anything and just led me down the corridor, stopping in front of a door with a cardkey lock.

"So, I thought about you and other newcomers. For some reason I get a feeling that you're overflowing with potential, even though you're pretty confusing. I mean that nervousness you're trying to hide with that grotesque cold attitude of yours. I decided to let you pick three Pokemon. More than that, you can choose them yourself." he grinned at me almost excitedly, using his card key and then let me inside a big room with huge shelves full of stacks of Pokeballs.

I looked around while my 'friend' approached a desk standing right next to the door and sat down. I turned my attention to him, watching how his cheerful expression changes to focused and serious, but still calm and somewhat warm. In front of him was a binder that looked like it was basically overloaded with papers, barely keeping itself in one piece.  
>I waited, letting Jon look through the papers in silence.<p>

"Okay," he after a longer while closed the binder, but earlier pulling a small pile of documents out.  
>"Here's a list of Pokemon you can use. Pick three, like I said earlier."<p>

I stared at him for a while and walked closer, taking the list from him to take a brief look at it. The look on my face surely clearly showed how confused and unsure I still was, causing Jon to speak again.

"All of those Pokemon were caught by hunters, so you don't have to worry about their dislike for you as their new owner."

Good to know, at least I'll save three of those from abuse.

"Once you get them, you'll be considered a higher ranked grunt than the other newcomers."

I looked at him again, for some reason feeling my heart skip a beat at the news. Why? I joined like six hours ago, and I was already a rank above people who joined at the same time? Why...?

"Surprised? Don't be. It's not like higher ranks give you more benefits, or fame, or whatever. The higher ranked you are, the more difficult your tasks become, and the worse punishments wait for you if you fail. Besides, you're still just a grunt. And the ranks among grunts aren't really something real. You can be proud once you get to lead your own little squad."

I swear, that hierarchy of theirs is either fucked up, or it's me who doesn't understand shit.

"For now, all you need to know is that you're at the very bottom. You're my subordinate, and I am a subordinate of Proton. Even if you become a leader of a small group, you'll still be my subordinate. There's no way you'll ever become someone more important than just my right hand, so there's no need to explain it further."

Wow, and I thought he was nice. Even his friendly aura disappeared, and I felt like he was kinda threatening me to not dare steal his position or whatever. It's pretty disappointing, but I guess I was right about his hidden sadistic personality. Well, too bad. Just watch me, pretty boy. I'll become an executive whether you like it or not!

Okay, maybe I won't. But higher position would really make everything easier, especially staying alive and getting important details of their plans.

I found myself staring at the young man before me, his expression changing from slightly warning to expecting.  
>Ah, I probably should say something.<p>

I pulled my still imperfect Silver-like mask on and looked down at the papers in my hand, taking one calm breath to give myself some time to think of what to say.

"Uhm... You say that higher ranks give me nothing except difficult tasks and worse punishments. But, don't you think it's an honor to know that the executives trust you and rely on you so much? Isn't it a proof of how worth you are? And that the executives recognized you as reliable?" I mumbled, cringing inwardly at my own words. Even if it was just a beautiful lie for Team Rocket, it still hurt to say it while pretending to be perfectly serious.

Argh, too cheesy!

The silence that fell around us caused my body to tense and shake slightly, and I tried to read the list already.

"Pff... Jeez. Kids these days. Don't bark too much, _Ethan_."

I almost shivered at how deep Jon's voice suddenly became. He basically growled my alias.

That's it. That was my first real warning. Damn it... I'm getting more and more scared of this guy.

"And hurry up already, or I will pick the Pokemon for you."

Alright, here we go. I can choose between obvious Zubat, Sandshrew, Houndour, Koffing, Murkrow, Oddish... Umm... Meowth, Rattata... Ekans, Cubone, Machop, Drowzee... Oh and Sentret.  
>Ugh it's harder than I expected to decide between such Pokemon.<br>But, I definitely need a flying type. Murkrow. Okay, so I have one. And what next?  
>Persian is pretty powerful and I love it... But I already have my own beloved Persian. I wouldn't want to replace her with another one. Maybe if I take Meowth and make it evolve, then I could release it and withdraw my Persian from the PC... It's worth a shot.<p>

I almost stopped breathing when the list suddenly was forced away from my grip and I saw Jon's usually relaxed face twisted in some kind of grim, scolding expression. I must've seriously pissed him off, even if I didn't say anything _that_ offending.  
>Was he really that bipolar?<p>

Instinctively I took a step backwards and kept the eye contact with my boss who just folded his arms and scowled even more.

"Decided?"

"A-ah, yes, I decided to take Murkrow and Meowth...-"

"I said three Pokemon. You can't even count to three?"

"N-no, that's not the case! It's just hard to decide-"

"Then I will help you."

Well there goes my calm and assertive attitude, and my self-confidence and any optimism I had when I got the idea of joining Team Rocket. Just this one guy was enough for me, thank you very much. If he was that unpredictable and unstable, then I'm afraid to even think about what kind of people are the rest of the grunts.  
>I felt like running away immediately, but held myself still and I straightened my back when Jon went further into the room to pick Pokemon for me.<br>He shoved three Pokeballs into my hands and then pointed to the door, so I bowed slightly and left.

I trotted down the corridor wondering if he was pissed enough to just grab random Pokemon for me or if he actually gave me the two I asked for. It's hard to guess...

Just like I was told earlier, the rest of the day was free time for me, giving me some time to hang out with my new Pokemon a bit and wander around the Tower's basement (after all I had to find the room I was supposed to sleep in), so I decided to do just that while I still could. First things first, I had to train whatever team I was given to raise the likelihood of me staying alive in the next few days.

When finally went outside, I leant against the Pokemon Center's wall and started wheezing for air while my whole body trembled violently. Apparently the last five minutes were more stressful than I thought they were...

Uhh I feel like throwing up, but I have to be strong.  
>Come on Gold, you can do it. No one will kill you without a good reason (I think…), so there's no need to panic.<p>

I slowly let my knees bend and I sat down on the ground, deciding to take a look at my new Pokemon. I released all three of them, relieved to see a Murkrow and a Meowth, but... The third one was a Murkrow, too.  
>Just great...! That makes no sense, and what kind of type balanced team am I supposed have with two identical Pokemon?!<p>

I couldn't let myself get angry or look disappointed, after all they were innocent Pokemon. I had to take care of them, and ensure that they never even notice how terrible Team Rocket is while we're here.  
>I smiled at my three new friends, <em>awfully glad<em> that they seemed to already like me.  
>Who would've thought, huh. Just a few hours with Team Rocket was enough to make me melt in relief at the slight acceptance and friendly sounds of three little Pokemon.<br>I definitely need a friend. A human friend. Jon had said I can consider him my _best_ friend, but I don't think it'll work out after I'd caught a glimpse of his real self. I'd rather stay away from him, actually...

Congrats, Gold. Digging your grave like this...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** wow I suddenly got really lazy with writing. But I won't stop, haha.

The infamous stripping scene appears in chapter four, so stay tuned! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **GUYS NONE OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS WAS ABOVE 5K WORDS, THIS ONE IS _GODDAMN 7K_ IM SORRY

* * *

><p>With every passing hour I regretted joining Team Rocket more and more.<br>It's been five days since I've become a member, and so far I've gotten into fights with pretty much everyone who have joined the same day I have.  
>More than that, I've become the target of their torments and they tend to use me as an excuse of everything bad that happens to them.<br>No food? _My bad._ Getting yelled at? _Of course it's my fault_. Boring task? _Sure, I'm the one to blame_.  
>And all of this started on the first day.<p>

After I'd received three Pokemon from Jon, I had spent the rest of the day on training and playing with them. The fact of having two identical Murkrow was bugging me and really worrying, but I didn't want to complain. I'd feel bad for one of them if I decided to trade it for another Pokemon, and I'd hate myself for treating it like a tool, not like the actual living being.  
>My initial plan of releasing the Meowth after it evolves just to replace it with my Persian didn't sound that good either but... That was probably the best thing I could do. For both my own sake and for everyone else.<p>

The Murkrow were surprisingly cheerful and they quickly warmed up to me, unlike Meowth who even now, after almost a week of working together doesn't want to get too close to me. He's loyal and often helps me out when my teammates try to pull a (completely not funny) prank on me. Thanks to him I'd also gotten a few extra snacks he snatched from unaware Rockets.

The group of novices I'd heard so much about on the first day turned out to count only six young guys, and the most hilarious thing about them was the fact of two of them being twins, and younger brothers of the guy who gave me my uniform in the Goldenrod underground. They seemed to be pretending that they're unaware of how similar they were.

I was the shortest and the most quiet one of them all.

They immediately started to pick on me and torment me when I first joined them in our room (actually it was more like a corridor with bunk beds), saying than I am Jon's dog. They assumed I was being favored, just because they found out I've been given three Pokemon instead of one or two.  
>I swear, I tried to ignore that, but after two nights of getting my bunk "accidentally" flooded, I just had enough.<p>

The first night was terrifying. I couldn't stop myself from overthinking and eventually panicking to the point I barely could breathe and hold tears back, but somehow I managed to keep myself quiet enough to avoid anyone noticing. I hadn't slept at all.

Next day started with Jon once again showing his true face and yelling at us despite having literally no reason to do that. It was like he was angry at us and deeply offended that we dared to join Team Rocket and be inexperienced. I guess he's just _a bit_ unfair and impatient, but whatever...  
>The worst thing that he could've done was praising me for working hard with my new Pokemon the day before. It was the final blow to my teammates and just then the real hate towards me started.<br>I don't know why but I get a feeling that Jon did all that on purpose, just to make everyone else angry and determined to work harder. I remember reading something about Pokemon teams used to pulling sleds, and if my memory serves me correctly then the leading Pokemon would be made to be disliked by the rest, but I'm not sure if it's a real thing. It doesn't make any sense to me. But, I feel like Jon has made me that kind of lure-leader (except I'm no leader at all).

No matter what, I don't like it.

Shoving and shoulder bumping started to occur more often, but I never fought back. I knew I was too weak.

I survived almost a week, doing simple jobs like listing all of the newly caught Pokemon, carrying packages to the storage, handing out Potions, patrolling the streets, serving as a backup for some higher ranked grunts keeping an eye on the southern gate of Goldenrod... And training. I was pretty desperate to train my Pokemon, trying to make up with pure strength for lack of strategy and good moves.

On the fourth day (meaning yesterday) Jon ordered me to join him and his group for a small 'hunt', saying that I deserved it as a kind of reward for my hard work and obedience. I wasn't too happy about this, knowing that once other grunts find out about it, then they'll surely try to make me regret being so conscientious. As if I didn't already regret it...  
>I felt really bad when it turned out that the 'hunt' meant going to Cherrygrove City and steal whatever was steal-able from the tiny Poke Mart I liked so much.<br>It was about midnight when we arrived in Cherrygrove, and it took three hours to stuff whatever we found into the truck. I was a bit confused at first about why no one was in the Mart, but soon enough I noticed that apparently it was stocktaking time. The clerk must've taken a break for the night.  
>Jon let me grab three TMs I found under the counter, and I figured that those were the reward he was talking about, not barging in itself.<p>

When we finally got back to Goldenrod and emptied the truck, it was already around four o'clock in the morning so naturally I was exhausted and all I could think of was sleep. I didn't even care about my bunk still being wet from the last time my _dear teammates_ poured a bucket of cold water on me the day before.

Much to my irritation they woke up when I entered the room, immediately throwing insults and weird questions at me.  
>Something broke in me when the most irritating of them grabbed my wrist and tried to convince others to undress me and kick out of the room.<p>

Up to this point I've been following the 'don't feed the troll' rule, keeping myself quiet and unimpressed by their antics, but now it was enough.  
>Before I actually could stop myself I headbutted that jerk straight into his stupid face. It was almost a reflex. I was just defending myself, and it was a well-deserved blow.<br>He basically fell backwards and whined like a dog while trying to comprehend what just happened, and I couldn't help but feel a bit proud of myself when I saw quite big amount of blood rushing from his nostrils. Serves him right!  
>He launched himself at me and tried to hit me, luckily his moves were pretty chaotic and he seemed to lag, probably because of the blow he'd gotten from me.<br>I easily grabbed both of his wrists and used my leg to shove him back.

"You're dead, Ethan! Just you wait till Jon sees my face."

"What, you're going to cry and tell Jon-mama that little Ethan gave you what you were asking for?"

Damn, I wish I was the one who said that.

"What?!"

"Just calm your pants and go to sleep. If I were you, I wouldn't dare to complain to Jon, because it's not a school trip or something, you know? Talk shit, get hit."

I rolled my eyes at whoever was talking; _weren't you being an ass too? Why so nice so suddenly_.

Much to my surprise I didn't hear anything more except obviously furious growl directed at me, but I shrugged it off and finally lied down on my bottom bunk. I fell asleep instantly.

You'd think that I'd be allowed to sleep for longer- I hoped that the leaders are smart enough to figure that their pawns need to rest every now and then- but no. I was dragged out of my bunk forcefully by my teammates, who decided that it would be rude to leave me passed out like this and to let me get in trouble for not appearing on the first big meeting. How thoughtful of them...

But, it really saved me, so I nodded at the two twin brothers who practically pulled me up to my feet while I still was asleep to thank them in any way.  
>Damn, that was rough. Luckily I didn't take off my uniform before I went to bed, so I was all ready to leave.<p>

This morning was different than the past few ones, since some of the grunts were ordered to come to a big hall on the Tower's second floor.  
>I looked around, trying to count how many people were in here. It was pretty easy, given that we stood in a neat array, and no one even dared to turn their head, unlike me. I think there was about ten rows of eight grunts each, and I seriously was impressed with how silent everything was despite the number of people gathered in one place.<br>Jon stood in front of the first row, eyeing us. Our eyes met for a split second and I immediately felt a wave of cold chills flow through my whole body, knowing that it was probably a mortal mistake to move around while all of the grunts stood stiffly, their hands behind their backs and their heads high.

I could feel Jon's death glare on me but I refused to even blink, burning a hole in someone's back before me. Damn it... I'm one million percent positive I'll get hit for that once the meeting is over.  
>Speaking of which, suddenly everything felt even more stiff and tense, especially the air I was trying to breathe with while keeping my face somewhat relaxed. Soon enough I figured someone was slowly making their way from behind the rows of grunts, and even though I didn't find it scary or anything, everyone's nervousness affected me quite badly and caused my whole body to sweat. I felt pathetic, but whatever. I had some worse problems than sweating.<p>

Like, visiting my mom. I haven't had any chance to visit her so far, or even give her a call, but I texted her a few times to explain that I am really busy with training and that I won't be visiting this Saturday. I also came up with some excuse regarding my Pokegear being turned off most of the time, saying that the mountains probably block the signal and that's why I'm out of reach basically nonstop. She seemed to understand and luckily she didn't ask questions but I won't be able to keep it that way for any longer than next week. I had to find some way to spend at least one night at home. Preferably without anyone noticing. But that's impossible. Damn it...

I spaced out. Like usual when I'm nervous. I was pulled out of my reverie by someone behind me who gave me a small kick in my ankle, and I looked up, expecting something terrible to happen. By something terrible I mean Jon and whoever was next to him to glare at me while expecting some answer on question I didn't hear.  
>Luckily, no one was looking at me and I felt like collapsing backwards in relief. Who'd have thought I was so easy to stress out and that I'd let my mind run wild into overthinking stuff in split second.<p>

I hate this feeling, whenever I am stressed everything around me feels like it's slowed down like in some movie, while I, on the other hand, get some acceleration, or rather my brain, and I immediately see a few different ways my near future can go. All of them are ridiculous and negative, but I can't help it. I don't really know if that means something important, I mean my panic attacks in such moments. Because it really feels like serious panic attacks, only they last for literally one second.

I slightly shifted my eyes to look for Jon and soon found him next to the first row of grunts, facing the same direction as everyone else.  
>The steps I heard earlier disappeared; whoever it was, stopped in front of us (not that I could see who it was, being 160cm tall and standing among a crowd of adult men wasn't really helpful) and the tension melted away a bit. Only a bit.<p>

"Why am I even bothering to explain anything to you." I heard a familiar voice, and I felt every hair on my body stand up and my blood freeze.

Holy. Shit.

"We're closer to fulfilling another part of our plan, and that's probably all you should know for now. You're doing good so far. But, don't you dare to rest on laurels. We're not done yet. Taking over Goldenrod was only the first, less important step. All you have to focus on is money, and bringing us Pokemon eggs. Those two matters are essential to our research, and we can't afford to waste any more time."

Oh no. Don't talk about stealing eggs. Do not. Get the idea. Of raiding. My Daycare.

"The Daycare just outside Goldenrod has some useful eggs and young Pokemon, just like the one on Sevii Islands in Kanto. These two are now the main objectives of the resources squad."

Fuck. Fuck you. Fuck me. Fuck everything!  
>What am I supposed to do now? I have to somehow warn the old couple...<p>

"Bring as many eggs as you can."

I scowled a little, already hating the voice I'd gotten to know a few weeks back. It's rather impossible to forget such voice, smooth and deep, and…sly? But still somewhat warm, which was seriously pissing me off as nothing else.  
>Proton. The man I'd run into in the Slowpoke Well while he and some of his underlings were busy with <em>cutting off freaking tails of Slowpoke<em>, and having fun with it. There was no way I'd ever be able to forget that sight, and Proton's sadistically warm smile when he saw me.

Oh shit no.  
>He. Proton. He saw me. We were standing face to face for good ten minutes and then battling, and he basically kicked me in stomach when he heard the Police sirens and attempted to escape.<br>This... This is impossible for him to forget me. I am so, _so_ dead.

I instinctively bowed my head at the realization and my whole body tensed painfull.  
>Where was my brain when Jon mentioned Proton on my first day here? Where the fuck. Was my brain when I was throwing myself into this hell? I <em>knew<em> Proton is a twisted sadist and an executive, yet... I am an idiot.

I can't even breathe anymore. Grinding my teeth together and trying to stop my jaw from clenching any tighter I almost start hyperventilating through my nose, drawing sharp and deep breaths without any control over my body.  
>Shit. Shit shit shit! If I draw his attention now I'm seriously dead. Even Jon would happily join Proton in beating me to a pulp for whatever excuse he would come up with.<p>

I can't help it and my breaths grow louder. I am shaking and the sweat is now dripping from the tip of my nose and down my chin. I feel hot and cold at the same time, my eyes burn and my stomach feels empty. The emptiness suddenly spreads up to my head and down to my legs, and I can't see anything anymore.  
>I'm falling.<p>

...

Where's the floor?  
>I force my eyes open but they're still shielded with black cloud-like shapes and I try to raise my arms but I can't.<br>My head feels heavy and my skin burns, but this time it burns from cold.  
>I want to raise my hands and reach out for anything, or to at least find the floor.<p>

Someone is talking to me, and I can understand the words perfectly, but for some reason I don't bother to listen carefully or answer.

I feel sick, and I get even more nervous when I feel my stomach jump and basically try to get out through my throat. Thankfully I managed to hold my breath and it settled down, letting me relax a bit in relief.  
>After that I feel a bit better and the black patches slowly disappear from before my eyes, and I realize that I'm still standing on my feet.<br>The two grunts standing next to me were holding me by the waistband of my pants; someone was propping my back with their hand to keep me vertical, and the reason behind my inability of raising my arms was another person, standing in front of me and holding my wrists behind their back.

They all seemed to want to be sneaky about this situation, so I said nothing, even though the confusion I still felt made me want to ask some unnecessary questions like what was happening while I was half conscious.

I heard a small whisper saying "you're welcome" and all of the hands keeping me up slowly moved away from me, forcing me to stand on my own which felt like the most difficult thing I had to perform at the moment.  
>My body was all sweaty and stiff, and my skin still felt like it was whipped with some Icy Wind, only that there was no ice, no wind, and no Pokemon blowing its freezing breath at me.<p>

I felt weak, not only literally but weak as in _pathetic._ I felt humiliated by passing out like that just because I was scared.  
>Then again, I was legitimately scared of slow and painful death... I think there was some better way to deal with that kind of emotional burden, especially that I was fully aware of my panic's most likely effect of drawing everyone's, Proton included, attention towards me. But it's not like I can control panic, right?<p>

I tried to focus on the voice still speaking, and damn was I glad it wasn't Proton anymore. But before I could make my brain work to comprehend what was going on exactly, I was startled by the squad's deep roar ("Yes, sir!") that once again made me feel like passing out because I really wasn't expecting it.

Nevertheless, I was glad I was alive, and we were dismissed so I could just go and recover from the most terrifying moment of my life.

Everyone began to slowly shuffle in the exit's direction, walking past me and much to my surprise, shock, confusion and terror, some of the grunts patted my back and congratulated me for _becoming their little star_.

What the hell was that even supposed to mean?

I looked around the hall to see if Proton was anywhere near, only to meet Jon's gaze. And it certainly wasn't a friendly one.  
>He stood with his back pressed against a wall and his arms folded across his chest, just glaring at me as if I'd done something wrong.<br>What was his problem?  
>He pointed at the door everyone have already left through and I realized I was left behind, quickly turning and dashing away to avoid any further contact with him.<br>Really, I should stop with that spacing out... If Proton had been there beside Jon, I'd have already been noticed and crushed.

Melt into the crowd, melt into the crowd, melt into the frickin crowd and stay there damnit!

Just then I had an opportunity to see what time it was, a big wall clock on the Tower's first floor flashing eight thirteen in the morning. So, I've been asleep for about three or four hours... I don't know how long was the meeting, thanks to my oh so dramatic fainting I've lost sense of time for a while, so I really couldn't tell if it was only ten minutes or half an hour long.

Finally back in my room I scowled at two of my teammates performing a poor act of sissy fainting just to mock me, earning cheeky grins from them.  
>Don't tell me everyone saw that... I hope not. If Jon had seen all this, he would've already asked questions or yelled at me. Same goes for Proton. Except he certainly wouldn't have come down to yelling only.<p>

I don't even want to think what could've happened anymore... It was terrifying.

I retrieved my three Pokeballs and a snack I've hidden under my mattress two days prior, deciding to make use of it now since I still felt terrible and I heard that after you pass out you're supposed to eat something sweet.  
>A chocolate bar should be enough, I think.<p>

Leaving my dear teammates' snickers behind I headed upstairs to the first floor, lazily taking a small bite of my treat and looking around at people chatting away. The atmosphere around was weirdly relaxing, and for a while I felt like I was at school. You know. A lot of people you know from just seeing each other in the corridors, strangers who won't turn hostile towards you without any good reason, chit-chats everywhere melting into one, almost static noise.  
>Everyone were at ease, and I wondered why. Was it because Proton had actually said something that made their morale go up? Or maybe was it because he actually didn't kill anyone?<p>

Right... Just now I remembered the main reason of why I was here in the first place.  
>I was supposed to get any details of Team Rocket's plans, but instead of listening I got so terrified of losing my life that I forgot to even listen to what Proton and then Jon were saying.<p>

I'd slow clap at myself if I wasn't busy with my chocolate.

"Hey Ethan." I almost choked when I heard someone running up next to me and calling me by my fake name, mindlessly squeezing one of the Pokeballs I still didn't attach to my belt. I must've pressed the button by accident and my trusty Murkrow gracefully jumped out of the device and began to circle under the ceiling before landing on my shoulder and stealing the last bite of my sweet breakfast.

Ugh.

I turned my attention to whoever was calling out to me, now standing face to face with one of the twins from my group.  
>"Are you alright?" he asked; of course at first I didn't even know what to say, his concern seeming to be genuine that it gave me creeps. I nodded slowly, unsure if he was even expecting my answer.<p>

"Good, because, you know, I saw you fainting during the meeting. You still look pale."

Wait, why was he so worried? 'cause... he was, wasn't he?

"Are you trying to be nice right now?" I asked, pouting slightly and frowning at the blue eyed Rocket next to me. I swear he looked hurt for a second.

"I'm just asking if you're okay now. If you're not, then you're going to have to stay here while we go get eggs."

Oh, right.

I shrugged, wanting to give him an inaudible 'whatever' as a final response.  
>Scratching my Murkrow's neck I let my thoughts wander off to the place around Bill's house where I had my backpack hidden, already imagining myself going there and texting the daycare couple to warn them about the raid Team Rocket had planned.<p>

What if...

_Shit, not again._

What if someone sees me with my Pokegear?  
>I was reckless enough to text my mother. What if someone saw me then? I'd have to explain a lot and I'd lose Team Rocket's trust for sure. Maybe they'd kick me out... Or worse.<br>And what if someone finds out I warned the old couple?

Instant death. I am sure of it.

Letting myself space out I automatically let my guard down, and even a loud "hey!" wasn't enough to pull me back to reality, not even stomping of someone's feet growing louder was enough.  
>Murkrow screeched right next to my ear and flapped his wings, raising his body into the air right when I caught a glimpse of <em>red<em> and got roughly shoved back for two or three meters. I didn't expect anyone to push me like this, forcing me to practically jog backwards. And yes, it turns out I suck at jogging backwards because my feet got tangled and I fell, pulling the attacker with myself and making him awkwardly land on his knees between my legs.  
>The impact from hitting my back against the floor made my lungs feel like they were about to implode and I couldn't inhale for a few seconds, but it got back to normal when I was pulled up to sitting position by my uniform.<p>

"What. The fuck."

If I wasn't terrified, I'd answer to that with disgusted "uuugh". But, I _was_ terrified.  
>As if I haven't had enough for today.<p>

I cracked one eye open to confirm that the voice I just heard was Silver's, sending him a small glare, or at least I thought it was a glare. My eyes surely expressed something more like _please, please you fucking assface shut your mouth or they will kill me if you let them find out I am actually against them, shut up shut up shut UP_ but Silver being dense as he is didn't notice anything at all.  
>Or maybe he noticed and understood, but he decided that he <em>didn't fucking care<em>.

"What the fuck G-" Bang.

_SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH YOU ASSHOLE_.  
>I grabbed him tightly by his face, digging my fingers into his cheeks to somehow, <em>somehow<em> shut him up and give him any easier to read sign that he was about to kill me with his words.  
>Everyone were already staring at us. <em>Everyone.<em>

I once again tried to look into the redhead's sharp eyes to beg him for silence but he only responded with his death glare and ripped my hand off his face. He was panting with fury, letting me know that it was one of those moments he had no idea what he was doing, meaning I should expect the worst and the most unexpected.

"Hey, what are you-"  
>Silver turned sharply to glare at my even more concerned now teammate, the poor guy going silent immediately.<br>So weak.

And then, as if to make everything worse and give me a heart failure, Jon trotted over from the stairs, gently pushing the blue eyed Rocket out of his way to look down at Silver.

The redhead bared his teeth at the resources squad leader, none of them saying anything. They seemed to want to try and kill each other with their glares, leaving me kind of alone for a moment. When I only twitched Silver immediately turned his attention to me and I swear he was fucking readying himself to lean in and _bite me in the face_, luckily Jon distracted him again.

"What do you want this time?"

"Fuck you, mind your own business." ough, such words directed to Jon? And not even bothering to spare him a glance? If it was me barking like that, I'd probably already have my head separated from the rest of my body.

Silver continued to glare straight into my eyes and I glared back although not so aggressively. I was glad that no one said anything more, but having Jon and the rest of Team Rocket stare at us like that felt like letting a Muk slowly swallow you whole.

"Ethan, what's the matter? Do you two have met before?" Jon asked after a longer while and I saw Silver cringe and whisper _"Ethan?",_ some kind of disgust mixed with confusion showing on his face.  
>Fearing that Silver would now betray me, I quickly shrugged and blurted out;<br>"I-I don't know, I don't know him."

Silver then chuckled dryly and stood up, dragging me up to my feet by my clothes.  
>"Oh really."<br>Jon let Silver shove me towards the stairs and then he almost pushed me off them, forcing me to go down into the corridor I've already known so well.

"You don't know me, yeah?" he hissed behind me, shoving me further into the hallway. I decided to stay silent. Getting into discussion with him when others could still hear everything wasn't the wisest idea.  
>I think he really enjoyed shoving me and kicking because he did that a lot, even when it was unnecessary. What an <em>ass.<em>

Finally we arrived at some more secluded area, a spacious part of the corridor where the grunts would often spend free time eating together and watching tv if it worked (and from what I heard it was a rare occurrence).

"Gold," his voice was quiet and calm which automatically made me feel like it was a bad omen, and I really didn't need to wait too long to get confirmation of that.  
>I turned around to face him but before I could even think about readying for any attack, he violently shoved me back right into chairs and a table.<p>

Shit, that hurt, and I still felt kinda weak since that fainting earlier. I landed on the table with my back, slowly trying to prop myself on my elbows and pull my head back up (damn it seriously felt heavy), and then... Wait, shit, what the fuck is he doing?!

"Take that off, moron!" he growled, forcing my gloves off my hands before pulling on the hem of the upper part of my uniform, pushing the shirt upwards while his other hand wandered lower to get rid of my white belt.  
>Is he for real...?!<p>

"Silver, what the f-" I tried to grab his wrists but he was faster and pulled me off the table and then dragged down against his knee, the blow so strong that I once again couldn't breathe or see properly.  
>He let me go.<p>

And I fell to the floor face first, curling up and desperately wheezing for air.

"I said take that off."

I had to use every bit of my willpower to force my body to move a little and look up at him with one eye, coughing a few times.

He didn't seem to be furious anymore. His face was emotionless, but it didn't mean it was any better.  
>He slowly crouched down next to me and turned me onto my back and made me sit up, this time properly pulling my uniform over my head. I couldn't resist him anymore, my stomach felt like it was ripped or something...<p>

"Do you like Team Rocket that much?" his eyes narrowed slightly, his sharp gaze once again piercing through my soul.  
>"What are you even thinking you idiot?!"<p>

All I could do was still only wrapping my arms around my stomach, trembling and letting out muffled sounds of pain. I tried to answer him but my lungs felt like they were completely empty so the sound that left my throat was a mere groan before I slowly lied down on my side, pressing my forehead against the cold floor.

"Did you read the letter?"

Wait, what letter?

I looked up at him questioningly and at the exact moment he let out an irritated growl, clawing on his face. Seriously, so overdramatic.

"You fucking... dense dickhead!"

There he goes again.  
>His hands landed on my neck and wrapped themselves around on throat tightly but not to choke me. Silver only pulled me upwards by my neck, holding me like this just to shake me every now and then while hissing through his clenched teeth, his face dangerously close to mine.<p>

"You fucking didn't even open that goddamn book I gave you, did you?!" I shook my head slightly, grimacing at discomfort and the distance between our noses.  
>"You have no idea how much I want to kill you right now!" finally he threw me to the floor again, luckily it wasn't that bad because I still was basically lying on it.<p>

"You are about to do that, y'know." finally, I can breathe and talk.  
>"If you don't shut up, they'll figure out things I don't want them to know."<p>

"Like what, you playing a superhero? Are you seriously thinking that you're clever trying to be sneaky?!"

"Silver, shut. Up."

"Did you seriously think that they won't kill you if you join them?!"

I gave him a small kick (I had to restrain myself to avoid killing him I swear) into his stomach, now having my ankle gripped by him but at least he shut up for a while. I used my other leg to slam the heel of my boot against his fingers to make him back away which he did, cursing under his breath and throwing at me some random death threats.  
>I sat up and reached out to grab my uniform before putting it on again. Being half naked wasn't so fun right now.<p>

"Asshole!" he hissed and I presented him my middle finger in answer, once I was sure that I'm far enough to avoid getting hit or kicked again.  
>"You're already dead, Gold. And for a while I seriously thought that maybe you're not that brainless."<p>

"Well, thank you very much for your concern, I'll be fine if you take your leave now without letting everyone know what's really going on!"

"Gold, do you even realize what you've gotten yourself into? You're going to jail if you get through this alive. There's no excuse. But you most likely won't make it through."

"Oh yeah, just watch me."

He sighed heavily and slowly stood up, pinching the bridge of his nose in defeat. For some reason he looked like he was at his breaking point, and I don't mean his rage that normally would follow. He actually looked like he was tired and overwhelmed, wanting all of this to end.

"Did you read that letter or not?" he asked calmly.  
>Wow.<p>

"No, I didn't. I told you that already."

He exhaled once again and looked down at me before offering me a hand.  
>Silver. Wanting to help me up. Right after he beat me up.<br>What's going on, I don't even...

I hesitated for a moment but decided to trust him again, expecting it to actually end up being some kind of trap leading to another portion of beating, but no. He seriously pulled me up to my feet.

"I left a note for you in that book. I hoped you'd read it and keep away from stupid, heroic ideas."

"I know that already, but I didn't read it. So maybe tell me what it was about if it's that important?"

He looked away for a while, his face doing that weird thing I've never expected to see from him- he looked conflicted.

"It was about why I am allowed to fuck around with Team Rocket without any consequences."

"So? Is it really important?"

"Well yeah, it is. Actually now it isn't, because you've already gotten yourself into some big shit but maybe you'll make use of that knowledge to save yourself at some point."

"Well? Will you tell me already? Because you know, dragging me down here is already suspicious enough, and I know I'm going to be asked many difficult questions. Thanks, by the way."

Well, yeah, exactly! It really looked like Silver and I were some good buddies, or at least enemies- whichever it was it meant we knew each other; despite that I lied I didn't know him. What should I use as an excuse if someone asks why Silver dragged me down here? Hm?

"Just tell them I wanted your personal info and ID number. They'll buy it."

"Yeah, sure..."

"They will. Trust me on this one. They trust me too."

"Are you shitting me right now Silver? How are they trusting you?"

Ugh I don't get this guy.

There was a longer while of silence between us, Silver thoughtfully looking to the side again.

"I'm Giovanni's son. They treat me like a spoiled child that can't do shit to them. They don't bother to take me seriously. Or anything I do or say. I could blow up the whole Radio Tower, and they would only shrug and pretend they don't mind it. I'm powerless, but I still can save your sorry ass from here."

...

He looked back at me and scowled in disgust, probably in answer to my wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Are you being serious right now?" I asked, getting only another glare in response, and I knew he was serious.  
>Silver... That stupid, super angry stomping his foot kid was Giovanni's son? What? Was that even possible? How?<br>I mean, doesn't matter how, but, what the hell Silver's life looked like? What does exactly mean for him having such father?  
>"...I didn't... I expected everything but not <em>that<em>." I didn't actually know what to say. Just. Wow. It was too much. My brain refused to work because it still couldn't process the information Silver gave me.

"Whatever." he hissed at me again, and I could tell he was already itching to run away. Well, nothing surprising. I'd probably feel the same if my father was the most wanted criminalist out there and I just admitted it to someone I was obsessively rivaling with.

"And... You're seriously telling me...something like this...just to save me?"

"Do you want me to kick you in face?" he mocked my tone. Ouch, I forgot he'd never admit anything like wanting to help someone to be true. But I knew him well enough to know that all of this had no hidden motives, and that he genuinely wanted nothing more but to somehow raise the success rate of my 'stay-alive' mission.

Probably not because he didn't want me to die, but because he didn't want to regret something and see me in his nightmares.

"I still hate you for having literally no pride and honor, and for sinking to Team Rocket's level. Disgusting trash."

"Rude. Period head."

"Ugh."

Ha, this is like... Twenty-one to five for me. He'll never get over getting called 'period-head', and I know it's mean but I just can't resist. The disgust on his face is always so real... And his brain shuts off no matter what. Serves him right.

I flinched at the sound of quick steps, my eyes widening as I turned my head expecting Jon or any of the Rockets running to punish me for actually knowing Silver and lying about it.

Silver chuckled dryly in amusement as he watched me, my shoulders slumping in relief as the sound turned out to be flapping of friendly wings, not steps heralding my end coming near. It was just my Murkrow…

He landed on my shoulder and eyed Silver carefully.

Well, at least now I have someone willing to save me from Silver's eventual beating.

I looked at my Flying type and then back up at Silver again, seeing him adjust his leather gloves while watching me. I hated him for being taller than me. I could forgive him anything, but not _that._

Suddenly he flung his arm at me and I squeezed my eyes closed and curled up slightly, expecting to get hit again but all I felt was a not-so-terrible slap on my cheek and slight pressure since he apparently didn't take his hand away from my face.

I opened my eyes and hesitantly glanced at him, seeing him frown a bit while he stared straight into my eyes with his own, more scolding (and shit was it sympathetic?) than hateful gaze. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"I'll get you out of here if you want."

There he goes again with running away, that…coward.

"Silver, I'm not backing away now. Instead of trying to run away, you should join me. You said you hate Team Rocket, and that you want them out of this world, so why aren't you doing anything to achieve this?"

He frowned more and slowly took his hand away from my cheek.

"Sometimes staying away and alive is the only rational thing to do." And with that he took two steps backwards before turning around and taking his leave before I could even call out to him.

Well, whatever… I knew what to do.

…

Kind of.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I feel like I screwed up. My brain doesn't work properly uhh... I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing or "heavy".

In the next chapter Gold will get into some trouble haha! _Some serious trouble mwahhahahacoughcough_


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